Filled with the Holy Spirit (summary of Acts 2 talk)

Jesus said in Acts 1 "you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

We need the Holy Spirit to touch our ministries.

So the great things that we are already doing FOR God can be anointed BY God and the things we are doing which are OF God will be done WITH God.

The Holy Spirit is for witnessing and to enable us to reveal Jesus to others as we are filled with Him.

The Holy Spirit is God and when we are filled with God everything else (moaning, complaining etc) gets out of the way because something greater has arrived in the person of the Holy Spirit.

We need to pray with anticipation and desperation just as the disciples did at Pentecost and the Holy Spirit will come, in His own time and in His own way.

We need a 1st hand experience of God - not just watch everyone else doing it.

As we are filled with the Holy Spirit we won't need to struggle or strive to be witnesses anymore because the Holy Spirit will overflow from us and when He does then we are:-

re-positioned and new things begin to happen

able to speak other languages - the languages of those around us. Our work colleagues, those we meet in the pubs and clubs, university lecturers and young people, whoever we think we can't speak to now - we will be able to speak to them as the Holy Spirit enables us.

part of something that attracts a crowd - church becomes interesting and noticed instead of something people see as irrelevant or obsolete

provocative! - people ask 'what does it mean?' - a great question and we have the answer in Jesus!

Without the Holy Spirit we cannot grow, witness, understand, experience joy or do anything to the full measure that God wants us to.

Yet when we are filled with the Holy Spirit all these things can be done and more!

Letter from Ellise

To my beautiful OCF family,

It's truly astonishing that a mere 8 months ago I had never had the pleasure of meeting any of you. Now I can't imagine life without you.

When I came to England I prayed and prayed that I would find a home away from home.

God answered my prayers in an unimaginable way.

He blessed me with all of you. Ormskirk Christian Fellowship is what God's fellowship is meant to be.

From the very beginning every single one of you has been so very welcoming and loving. I want to thank you for that.

It has been such a blessing to be a part of your family over the past year. I have loved getting to know you and seeing you grow as a church.

Your zeal for God and for His people is overwhelmingly beautiful. You have inspired me. Know that I go home refreshed and energized to live each day for God, as I have seen many of you do.

I have grown closer to Him in the past year than I have over my entire life.

Thank you all. God has influenced my life through you more than you will ever fully know.

I am so thrilled where God is leading OCF. He has grand plans for this church and this town.

I offer up my prayers and encouragement to each of you.

I can now appreciate the difficulties of living in a largely non-Christian community and pray for your continued strength. This place and the people desperately need God.

I have confidence that you will be paramount in their hearing and receiving of the Gospel.

Please keep me updated on your endeavors and successes!

You will be in my thoughts and prayers.

Until me meet again!

All my love and God's blessings

Ellise Williams